Bethnal Green and Bow MP appointed as Trade Envoy for Bangladesh

On the occasion of the Bengali New Year ‘Pohela Boishakh’, the British Prime Minister David Cameron has selected Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow to join the cross party Trade Envoy network as Trade Envoy for Bangladesh.

The UK is the largest investor in Bangladesh and has a deep and longstanding relationship with the country.

On her appointment as Trade Envoy for Bangladesh, Rushanara Ali MP said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to this cross-party role as the UK Trade Envoy to Bangladesh. The UK and Bangladesh have historic and long-standing ties. Bangladesh has been identified by UKTI as an emerging market with substantial trade and investment opportunities. It is a country of particular importance to me: a third of my constituents have Bangladeshi heritage and I was the first person of Bangladeshi origin to be elected to the UK Parliament. I want to see Britain play a twin role helping Bangladesh thrive economically and supporting the country’s efforts to tackle the threat of climate change.”

Two-way trade between the UK and Bangladesh stands at £2.3m. The UK has strong business interests in Bangladesh and remains the largest foreign investor. Over 100 British companies are operating in sectors including retail, banking, energy, infrastructure, consultancy and education with main centres of operation in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. The UK is also the third single largest destination for exports from Bangladesh.